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Goodwin Chafing at Underdog Label : Boxing: Despite lineage and 8-2 record of Lloyd Weaver, junior middle- weight from Canoga Park not impressed with tonight’s opponent.

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TIMES STAFF WRITER

Lloyd Weaver carries the reputation of a big puncher.

He has eight victories--five by knockout--in 10 professional bouts. His older brother, Mike, is a former world heavyweight champion who even today, at age 40, packs a wallop.

But pardon Don Goodwin if he is not impressed.

Goodwin, who is set to meet Lloyd Weaver tonight in a six-round junior middleweight bout in the Warner Center Marriott’s Grand Ballroom, was told he was the underdog the last time he boxed on his home turf.

Last November, Goodwin, 28, from Canoga Park, was matched against an up-and-coming 18-year-old from Mexico, Santiago Negro Franco.

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The fight lasted 48 seconds. Two quick lefts and Franco was too wobbly to continue.

Goodwin entered that fight with a record of 1-3.

He takes a record of 5-4--with four of his victories by knockout--into tonight’s bout, which is on the undercard of a six-fight show that begins at 7:30.

Despite Weaver’s more impressive resume, Goodwin isn’t expecting much of a slugfest.

“I’m not too enthused about him,” he said. “I just hope he’s trained as hard as I have.”

Goodwin should be at the top of his game. He sparred three times last week with P.J. Goossen, the State junior middleweight champion, and six weeks earlier this summer with Steve Collins, the reigning World Boxing Organization super middleweight champion.

Sometime soon, Goodwin hopes, he will have his own title.

“My ability is above the people I’m fighting,” he said Tuesday, after a light workout at Brothers Gym in Canoga Park. “Just my record is behind.”

Among Goodwin’s losses are two disputed decisions and two others that his handlers attribute to injuries.

Goodwin is a terrific athlete. Though only 5 feet 9, he can dunk a basketball, but his ability was wasted until he joined forces with Stu and Art Lovett early last year. Stu is his manager, Art his trainer.

“Right now Don has a lot of punching ability,” Stu said. “But with his speed and quickness, we know he can be a well-rounded fighter.”

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Goodwin also is concentrating on becoming a good citizen. He hooked up with the Lovetts only after spending six months in jail--from June, 1993, to January of last year--under terms of a plea bargain on a robbery charge.

“God took me out of the scene I was in to get my mind back together,” said Goodwin, who also was incarcerated from 1987 to ’91 on an illegal transporting conviction. “I love this sport more than anything. Since I’ve been out, I could count the days I’ve missed training on one hand.

“I have too much ability to waste.”

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Randy (Big Man) Smith will meet Kenny Pratt for the North American Boxing Organization middleweight title in tonight’s main event. The bout is scheduled for 12 rounds. Smith, 31, of Rancho Cucamonga has a record of 15-1-3 with six knockouts. He is the California middleweight champion. Pratt, 29, of Phoenix has a record of 7-2-1 with two knockouts. He is the Arizona middleweight champion.

Goossen (15-0, 11 KOs), from North Hollywood, faces Eric McNair, a former national Golden Gloves champion from San Diego.

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